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Syria Project

Our work on Syria sheds light on the ongoing struggle of Syrians to fulfill their desire for democratic self-governance as the United States and the international community grapple with the aftermath of a devastating civil war, millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe, and ongoing security and political challenges spilling over Syria’s borders.


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Syria Strategy Project

The Atlantic Council, Middle East Institute, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Content

In the News

Oct 18, 2017

Stein Quoted in Middle East Eye on Post-Raqqa IS

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Oct 18, 2017

Haid in CNN: Driving Out ISIS is Just the Start — Rebuilding Raqqa Will Take Years

By Haid Haid

Read the full article here.

Syria

New Atlanticist

Oct 17, 2017

Raqqa Falls. Now Comes the Hard Part

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is driven from its strongholds in Syria, US-backed forces face the challenge of stabilizing these conflict-ravaged territories. This task is made more urgent by the fact that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and Iran-backed militias are swooping in on eastern Syria in an attempt to capitalize […]

Iraq Syria

In the News

Oct 17, 2017

Hof Joins KPCC to Discuss Next Moves for Raqqa

By Frederic C. Hof

Listen to the full discussion here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 17, 2017

A Life of Exile: The Continued Suffering of Syrian IDPs

By Hasan Arfeh

Local agreements between the Syrian regime and opposition forces may have lessened the violence, but they have not ended the suffering of Syrians. Such deals, in which the regime uses bombing and blockades to force the opposition to surrender, have moved many Syrians from their towns in the Damascus hinterland towards rural Idlib, where they […]

Syria

In the News

Oct 17, 2017

Hof Quoted in Christian Science Monitor on Syria’s Approach to Business with Assad Regime

By Frederic Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Oct 17, 2017

Hof Quoted in Yahoo on Assad’s Relationship with Syria

By Frederic Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 13, 2017

Return to Syria is Less Likely As Syrian Refugees Receive Turkish Citizenship

By Hosam al-Jablawi

After more than a year of heated debate among the Turkish public and authorities, thousands of Syrians living across the country have begun receiving citizenship. The first batch to receive decisions in early August included fifty thousand Syrian refugees, mostly holders of university degrees, such as doctors, engineers and teachers, along with their families. But […]

Syria

In the News

Oct 12, 2017

Alami in TheNewArab: IS’ Defeat in Deir az-Zour Will Not Spell the End of Extremism

By Mona Alami

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 12, 2017

JCPOA or Assad? Capillary vs Artery

By Frederic C. Hof

The Trump administration is focusing properly on blocking the destabilizing, terrorist-abetting activities of Iran in Mesopotamia, the Levant, and elsewhere. Yet rather than addressing the worst of those activities head-on, it is confounding allies and risking Western unity by making the 2015 nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA) the centerpiece of […]

Iran Syria

Experts